Treatment for Children with Viral-Induced Wheeze

Treatment with oral or inhaled corticosteroids is not warranted for children without history of atopy or family history of asthma, but medium-dose inhaled corticosteroids or leukotriene inhibitors might be warranted in children who seem to be at risk for asthma.

Children with viral-induced wheeze often receive oral or inhaled corticosteroids or a leukotriene inhibitor despite a lack of good evidence that they work. Three studies shed light on this condition.

In a double-blind, randomized trial, 220 children (age range, 1–5 years) who had histories of intermittent wheeze associated with respiratory tract infection (RTI) received albuterol plus a 7-day course of inhaled budesonide (1000 µg twice daily), montelukast (4000 µg daily), or placebo at the onset of each RTI. The three groups had similar proportions of episode-free days during 12 months of treatment (the primary outcome; about 75%), oral steroid use, and healthcare utilization. However, during the 14 days after initiation of the study drug, c…

Reviewing Author

Howard Bauchner, MD

Disclosures

Grant / research supportHuman Resources and Services Administration; NIH; NIH-NHLBI; USDA; GlaxoSmithKline

Editorial boardsArchives of Disease in Childhood (Editor-in-Chief)

Howard Bauchner, MD

Disclosures

Grant / research supportHuman Resources and Services Administration; NIH; NIH-NHLBI; USDA; GlaxoSmithKline

Editorial boardsArchives of Disease in Childhood (Editor-in-Chief)

Treatment for Children with Viral-Induced Wheeze

Topics

Reviewing Author